


Standing in the smoke, fading into ruin (nowhere left to go, hanging on a feeling)

by MYuzuki



Series: No matter what’s in front of me (I’ll keep fighting til I’ve won) [11]
Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Flashbacks, Friendship, Gen, Nyx is Not Having a Good Time, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Time Travel Fix-It, but luckily he's got friends!, story title comes from a really great song called "Bridges" by Generdyn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-05
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:14:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26304727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MYuzuki/pseuds/MYuzuki
Summary: Nyx's feet carry him through the streets of Insomnia even as his mind buzzes with unanswerable questions and fragments of a timeline that will never come to pass.
Relationships: Libertus Ostium & Nyx Ulric
Series: No matter what’s in front of me (I’ll keep fighting til I’ve won) [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897525
Comments: 9
Kudos: 141





	Standing in the smoke, fading into ruin (nowhere left to go, hanging on a feeling)

**Standing in the smoke, fading into ruin (nowhere left to go, hanging on a feeling)**

* * *

Nyx's feet carry him through the streets of Insomnia even as his mind buzzes with unanswerable questions and fragments of a timeline that will never come to pass.

He finds himself standing in the precise spot where Libertus had slammed into Drautos with a car and exposed the man as Glauca without quite knowing how he got there, and spends a moment staring blankly at the nondescript patch of pavement where he'd collapsed in another life, exhausted and in agony from the hollow-point bullet that had torn through his torso courtesy of Luche fucking Lazarus.

(Getting shot by Luche is an inevitability in any timeline, it seems, and Nyx would probably find that darkly amusing if he was in the right head-space for humor.)

He's not sure how long he stands there, replaying that moment over and over again in his mind, but he's eventually yanked from the feedback loop of his brain by a very familiar voice.

"Geez, there you are," Libertus says by way of greeting, his gruff tone somewhere between exasperated and relieved. "I've been looking all over for you, man, what're you doing here?"

Nyx opens his mouth to reply but no sound comes out, which is probably for the best; the way he's feeling right now, he can't guarantee that he won't just start telling his best friend about every single shitty memory that's clawing at him right now. And since Libertus hasn't lived through any of it yet (and never will, if Nyx has any say in it) that would only cause trouble.

"Dunno," he says at last, once he's sure he can speak without his voice shaking. "Went for a walk, ended up here."

Libertus gives him a decidedly unimpressed look, crossing his arms. "Uh-huh," he says. "You vanished after a meeting with the king and just…went for a walk."

Nyx gives a wince before he can stop himself. "Ah," he replies, vaguely sheepish. "You heard about that."

Libertus rolls his eyes, reaches out to cuff Nyx lightly on the shoulder. "Yeah, asshole, I heard about that. The barracks are a mess of gossip right now, what with everything that's going on. So when someone spotted you headed into the Citadel with Cor the Immortal at your heels," he goes on, "you can imagine what a stir it caused."

Nyx groans, dragging a hand through his hair. "Wonderful," he grumbles. "Just what I need."

Libertus laughs, warm and uproarious, and slings an arm around Nyx's shoulders. "Aw, come on, buddy, don't worry so much. The rumor mill is saying only good things, I promise."

Nyx snorts disbelievingly. "You're such a fucking liar," he says, but it's more fond than accusing because he can see what Libertus is trying to do and he appreciates it. "How are things back at headquarters?" he asks now. "Everyone holding up okay?"

Libertus's face does something complicated before settling into a grimace. "More or less," he hedges. "I mean, things are a bit hectic, what with our commanding officer turning out to be a traitor working for the Empire and all. Throw in the fact that a lot of us are still unhappy about the ceasefire and things are…tense."

Nyx takes a deep breath and holds it, counting first to ten then to twenty.

He'd been so focused on saving Crowe, on protecting his friends and exposing Glauca and averting the future he'd lived through, that he'd failed to really consider what the fallout would be for the remainder of the Kingsglaive. Had deliberately _avoided_ thinking about it, really, too caught up in memories of a world where he'd had to fight against his own comrades because they'd been taken in by Drautos's false promises. "Any word from King Regis on what he plans to do with us?"

Libertus shrugs, slanting him an unreadable look. "You're the one who just left an audience with the guy," he remarks pointedly. "You tell me."

"Shit." Nyx rubs the back of his neck tiredly, something vaguely like guilt creeping into his chest. "We didn't discuss it, Lib. It's not Regis's fault," he adds hastily, seeing Libertus's expression shift into a familiar glower. "I kind of…bailed. In the middle of the conversation. We didn't do much talking at all, really."

Libertus's eyes widen dramatically, looking almost comical in his surprise. "You ditched the _king_?" he hisses, sounding scandalized before his expression shifts into wicked amusement. "Nyx."

"I know, I know," Nyx groans. "I fucked up."

Libertus chuckles, patting him on the back in an awkward attempt to be consoling. "Ah, I'm sure it's not that bad," he says, still chortling. "I mean, you're a big hero, right? They owe you for Glauca and everything."

Nyx scowls instinctively before he forces his face into a more neutral expression. "They don't owe me for that," he mutters, forcing away thoughts of a city on fire as daemons rampaged through the streets. "It's not like I could just stand by and do nothing."

"All I'm saying," Libertus says in a conciliatory tone, "is that I'm sure they're not mad at you for, uh, 'bailing'. And if they are," he adds, puffing out his chest in an exaggerated manner, "I'll deal with 'em."

Nyx snorts out a laugh at the thought of Libertus _dealing_ with the King and is rewarded with his friend's bright grin, wide and satisfied. "Alright, alright, I get the idea." He reaches out and yanks Libertus into an impromptu hug, ignoring the embarrassed sputtering sounds his friend makes. "Thanks, buddy."

Libertus grumbles under his breath but returns the hug. "Anytime, hero. I got your back."


End file.
